Authentic Churros Recipe from Spain - Visit Southern Spain (2024)

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Here’s an authentic Spanish churros recipe, a must-eat snack for any occasion!

Churros are one of the most popular foods to enjoy during breakfast, snacks, or at any time of the day.They are famous all over the world, and for a good reason.

Making original churros isn’t as daunting as it seems; it’s fairly easy!

If you are looking to learn how to make churros, then you are in the right place!

This traditional churros recipe will guide you through the process to achieve that perfect crispy crust and fluffy interior.

Keep reading, and I’ll show you the best churro recipe from our Spanish desserts and all the variants you can make.

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Pssst…!!??You can’t get enough of Spanish Desserts? Have a look at my other posts:

  • Apple Empanada from Spain
  • Olive Oil Cake
  • Yemas de Santa Teresa

Background of the Dish

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You might ask yourself, where did churros originate? Well, this is a tricky question. It is believed that they were invented in Spain as a replacement for fresh bread.

This is because they were easier to cook in the countryside or in the mountains, where the villagers used to live.

They are currently a worldwide phenomenon and are loved in different Latin American countries such as Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay.

Things You’ll Need for Churros

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Making homemade churros is much easier than you think, and they do not need rare ingredients.

To whip up a batch of these traditional Spanish churros, you’ll need some basic kitchen tools.

To make the churros, you will need a churrera (which is very common in Spanish houses). A churrera (a churro press) is ideal for those signature ridges.

If you don’t have one, you can use a pastry bag with a star peak so it has the characteristic churro shape.

Of course, you can also shape it with a spoon; the taste will be the same, but the shape will not. At the end of the day, what are churros without their star shape?

Spanish churros ingredients

  • 1 cup (240ml) water
  • 1 cup (240ml) milk
  • 2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (Optional)
  • sugar (for coating)
  • Vegetable oil (for frying)

If you want the churros ingredients in Spanish, feel free to translate the webpage to your desired language!

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How to Make Churros – Step-by-Step Guide

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If you want to know how to make Spanish churros, please take note of the instructions below:

  1. The first step in this recipe for churros is to grab a large saucepan or pot and heat the water and milk with vanilla extract over low heat. Once it boils, remove it from heat.
  1. Up next, sift the all-purpose flour and stir with a wooden spoon until a consistent dough forms and comes off the edges of the saucepan. You can do this by hand and take it as an arm workout, or do it with a stand mixer and a paddle attachment.
  1. After that, grab a saucepan and heat the oil over medium heat. In the meantime, fill the churrera or a piping bag with the dough.
  1. You’ll know that the oil is hot enough when it reaches 180°C (or 350 F). If you don’t have a thermometer, you can do the corn trick: Take a grain of corn and put it in the oil; once it becomes popcorn, the oil is ready.
  1. When the oil is ready, use the churrera or a spoon to shape your traditional churros and carefully drop them into the hot oil. Make the churros of the length you want. Remove them when they get a golden brown color. They should be cooked in enough oil to float in, so you’ll have to flip them so each side gets an even color.
  1. Put them in a container or plate with napkins to absorb the oil and coat them with sugar. Serve them warm and enjoy!

Substitution of Ingredients

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Don’t let the simplicity of this traditional churro recipe fool you. These little gems are incredibly versatile!

If you don’t like or don’t have some of the churros ingredients listed, there are many replacements that you can make.

For example, you can make them vegan if you just replace the milk with the same amount of water or for vegan milk.

I like using milk because it gives the dough a smoother consistency, but water will be just fine.

You can also avoid using vanilla extract and use any flavoring of your choice, such as orange or zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.

For the coating, you can use cinnamon sugar, and you’ll have some delicious cinnamon churros!

If you don’t want to buy cinnamon sugar, just grab regular white sugar, and for every cup add 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and mix!

You can also go completely off-script and make some fantastic Oreo churros!

This original churros recipe is tricky, but an easy way to do it is by adding 2 tablespoons of dark cocoa powder to the churro dough and using melted Oreos filling as a dipping sauce.

Besides that, if you don’t have enough oil or you are looking for a healthier alternative you can make baked churros, they are super easy and delicious!

Just preheat your oven to 180°c or 350°F and cook them for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Interested in trying another Spanish dessert, then our Spanish chocolate chip cookie recipe, Spanish flan recipe, or the Spanish rice pudding are a must if you want something simple and super delicious.

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Tips on Serving Churros

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The best thing about this authentic Spanish churros recipe is that they can be served as sweet churros (the typical way) or even as savory!

Spanish churos is very adaptable.

You probably noticed that the dough is sugar-free, so if you coat them in sugar later, then you can serve them with a cheddar sauce.

It is not conventional, but I assure you that it is a delicious snack.

Now, if you prefer to eat them conventionally, there are also some fantastic churro dipping sauces that you can try.

For example, you can make a very Spanish breakfast or snack and serve it with our Spanish hot chocolate recipe or next to a cup of Carajillo Spanish coffee.

The Spanish breakfast is a bit different from other countries, and desserts like churros, the Spanish sponge cake, or Spanish Magdalenas are very much preferred to start the day off.

If you want some inspiration for Christmas, you can serve fresh churros and, of course, the Spanish marzipan or some Christmas pastries – roscos de vino. Your guests will be thrilled.

How to Store Churros

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I am a fan of Spanish churros, but this authentic churro recipe indeed takes a bit of work and there are times when we want to eat them without having to cook them.

Fortunately, one thing you can do is make churros ahead and store them in the freezer or refrigerator to enjoy them later. Next, I will give you some tips on how to do it in each case.

If you want to eat them a few days after making them, you can store them in a Tupper or a Ziploc bag and leave them at room temperature.

This way, they last up to 3 days, but you should heat them in the oven before eating them. Don’t do it in the microwave, as they get a soggy texture.

A trick to heat the churros quickly without depending on the oven is to use your toaster!

You just have to put the churros in the same way that you would with a slice of bread and heat them. Not only will they stay hot, but they will also keep their crunchy texture.

Apart from that, you can also freeze your churros, and they will last even longer!

What you can do is freeze the raw dough, but first give it the shape of a churro, then put it on a tray or Tupper with some kind of separator. This way, they can last up to 3 months.

As well as other Spanish churros recipes, you can also freeze them already cooked. It is recommended to freeze them when they are still warm. In this way, they also last up to 3 months.

Can’t get enough of Spanish churros? Check the webstory about churros recipe from Spain here.

Related articles: 15 Best Spanish Food Facts You Need to Know

Recipe Card: Churros

Yield: 24

Churros Recipe from Spain

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Churros are one of the most popular foods to enjoy during breakfast, snacks, or at any time of the day.

Keep reading and I'll show you the best churro recipe, and all the variants you can make.

Prep Time20 minutes

Cook Time20 minutes

Total Time40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (240ml) water
  • 1 cup (240ml) milk
  • 2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (Optional)
  • sugar (for coating)
  • Vegetable oil (for frying)

Instructions

  1. In a saucepan, over low heat heat the water and milk with the vanilla extract and salt. When it boils remove it from heat.
  2. Add the sifted flour and stir with a wooden spoon until a consistent dough forms and comes off the edges of the saucepan.
  3. Heat the oil and fill the churrera or a piping bag with the Churros dough.
  4. When the oil is ready, with the help of the churrera or a pastry bag, make the churros of the length you want. Remove them when they get a golden color.
  5. Put them in a container with napkins to absorb the oil and coat them through sugar. Serve them warm and enjoy!

Notes

This is an authentic churros recipe, so they get coated with white sugar. But you can coat them with cinnamon sugar, brown sugar, or just skip the coating step.

The mixing or kneading point is very important, so don't underestimate it. If you don't get a hom*ogeneous dough, the churros will deform with frying, and worst, they might explode in the oil.

If the dough is very liquid you can add more flour. The same proportion of liquid is always used as flour, but it can vary depending on the ambient humidity and the brand of flour.

Nutrition Information

Yield

24

Serving Size

1

Amount Per ServingCalories 139Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 15mgSodium 37mgCarbohydrates 17gSugar 11gProtein 1g

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FAQs on Churros in Spain

Are churros Spanish?

Yes, churros are often associated with Spanish cuisine.
Churros in Spanish could also mean flour fritter.

Where are churros from?

The exact origin of churros is a topic of debate, and their history is not entirely clear. However, it is widely believed that churros have Spanish and Portuguese roots.

Are Churros from Spain?

Churros, as we know them today, may have originated in Spain, and they have certainly become an integral part of Spanish cuisine.

Authentic Churros Recipe from Spain - Visit Southern Spain (17)
Authentic Churros Recipe from Spain - Visit Southern Spain (18)

Authentic Churros Recipe from Spain - Visit Southern Spain (19)

Paulina

Hola, I’m Paulina! Together with my team, we are passionate about Southern Spain. Here we share all you need to know for great times in Southern Spain with the best places to visit, stay and, of course, the best food to eat.

Let’s dive in and explore Southern Spain’s outdoors, food and culture con pasión!

Authentic Churros Recipe from Spain - Visit Southern Spain (2024)

FAQs

Are churros authentic to Spain? ›

Here are a few notable regional variations of churros: Spain: The birthplace of churros, Spain offers the traditional long and twisted churro, often served with a thick, rich hot chocolate for dipping. In some regions, they may be thinner or thicker, and they are typically dusted with sugar and cinnamon.

Where do churros originate in Spain? ›

In neighboring Spain, shepherds would fry strips of dough and coat them in sugar to give them an easily portable snack during their long journeys in the mountains. Over time, the shepherds came to call the delicious sweet pastry “churro” since the shape reminded them of the horns from the Navajo-Churro breed of sheep.

What's the difference between Mexican churros and Spanish churros? ›

Mexican vs Spanish churros

The main difference between Mexican and Spanish churros is cinnamon. In Spain, churros are only coated in sugar and served with a chocolate dipping sauce. In Mexico, churros are coated in a sugar and cinnamon mixture and can be eaten alone or with dipping sauces like chocolate or caramel.

What are churros called in Spain? ›

In Spain, churros can either be thin (and sometimes knotted) or long and thick, where they are known as porras (or jeringos in some regions). They are normally eaten for breakfast dipped in coffee, or in hot chocolate for afternoon snack.

What do Spaniards eat churros with? ›

So, how do Spaniards eat churros? Well, they're typically eaten for breakfast or as a snack and are often paired with a cup of thick hot chocolate for dipping. Yes, you read that right – Spaniards dip their churros in hot chocolate! And we're not talking about the watery, sugary hot chocolate you might be used to.

What time do Spaniards eat churros? ›

Churros con chocolate is a beloved breakfast food in Spain, but you can also find them eaten as an afternoon snack between lunch and dinner. That's because they have a trick up their sleeve.

Which city is famous for churros? ›

Churros come in many shapes and sizes, but the traditional churros of Madrid are quite thin, typically shaped like a loop and have a star-shaped edge for that extra crunch. This kind of churros is called churros madrileños in other regions of Spain, because they are so typical of the city.

What is the best churro place in the world? ›

Chocolateria San Gines, Madrid, Spain

Many foo historians think that the churro may have originated in Spain – so it shouldn't be a surprise that Madrid offers arguably the best churro the world over.

Why are churros traditional to Spain? ›

says that nomadic Spanish shepherds invented them. Whilst staying high in the mountains with the flocks and not access to pastry shops, the sweet toothed shepherds created churros, which were easy for them to cook in frying pans they took with them over an open fire.

Is churros a dessert in Spain? ›

Churros are a typical Spanish dessert that can be bought and enjoyed all over Spain. If you don't find them in cafeterias, you'll find stalls selling them on the streets, during fiestas or in special shops called Churrerias. Imagine deep-fried choux pastry dipped in hot chocolate …mmm… delicious!

Why are churros special to Spain? ›

Churros, the delectable fried dough pastries enjoyed around the world, have a fascinating origin rooted in Spanish culture. In a nutshell, it is believed that churros originated from a pastry called teules, introduced to Spain by the Moors during their occupation.

What are churros called in Seville? ›

Locals in Seville often just have them with sugar or coffee! Language: In some parts of Seville, churros can also be called “calentitos.” Just in case you can't see them on the menu!

What does churro mean in Spanish slang? ›

The word “churro” in Spanish (not slang) is a kind of fried sweet pastry tubular shaped commonly eaten with a cup of dark cocoa. In Peru, “churro” is a slang word meaning a very attractive young person, both of female or male sex.

What is the Portuguese version of churros? ›

A fartura is a doughnut made of flour, yeast, baking soda, salt, sugar, cinnamon and water, that is fried in oil, in the form of a roll and traditionally sold at fairs in Portugal. It is preferable to consume them when they are hot so that the crunchy surface does not harden.

What is the significance of churros to Spain? ›

Savor the Sweet Taste of Spain

Living high in the mountains with flocks of sheep and little access to pastry shops, Spanish shepherds needed a comfort food they could easily make. Legend has it they created churros with frying pans and open fire and named these delicious treats after their Churra sheep they tended to.

Why are churros important to Spanish culture? ›

Up high in the mountains, fresh baked goods were impossible to come by, so the ingenious, nomadic folk of the hills came up with a delicious cake-like, cylindrical, daily staple which they could easily cook in a pan over an open fire ("Spanish Foods", 2003).

Are churros a thing in Barcelona? ›

You'll never go hungry in Barcelona, but one of our favorite delicacies is the humble churro (or xurro in Catalan). The Spanish version of doughnuts, churros are deep-fried lengths of choux pastry.

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